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So my follow up (discussed in my previous blog) was yesterday.  The doctor told me I could go forward with pureed foods and start my vitamins now.  He also told me I could go through this state in one week and start regular foods the following week.  This alarmed both me and husband, as I had expected to be on liquids another week and pureed foods for at least a month. 

So for today, I have a shopping list to beging the puree stage.  I'm a little nervous, as I'm comfortable with the liquids and haven't been in a rush to move forwards.  I did purchase my vitamins yesterday, $119 for a 3 month supply.  My first reaction to these are, they are huge, especialliy the calcium tablets.  I set up a week's worth of pills in a huge daily pill container, with 4xs a day slots.  I worry about this vitamin things.  I have never been on a continual medication in my life for a period longer than 3 months.  I don't like taking pills, granted these are chewable (currently suckables).  I know people say this will just become a routine.  I know I need to take these for the rest of my life.  I also know, I have never been able to be consistent with attempts at much lesser quantities of vitamins in the past.  I know I need to do this.. I just have to do it.  The first dose this morning was not bad at all, and honestly it was almost a candy-like treat.  I hope it continues this way.

I'm thinking about attempting to make a scrambled egg this morning (but scared how it will go down).  So far nothing has threatened to come up, but I've been on liquids and started protein drinks 3 days ago.  I recently ordered a Baby Bullet:  http://www.babybullet.com/index.php  I'm not sure when it is going to come in but I was hoping it would be here at the start or my puree stage.  In the back of a cabinet yesterday, I found an old coffee grinder that seems to fuction similarly, so I am going to attempt to use this. 

On to seize the day...

I've never been good at blogging, diaries or keeping a food journal.  I'm not even going to fathom the idea that I will make it here everyday or at least once a week.

Ok, so I had gastric bypass at Sewickley Hospital one week ago via Geoffrey Wilcox of Hope Bariatrics in Sewickley, PA.  I guess my first honest reaction is, I'm not sure I could honestly recommend this at this point... maybe two or three weeks down the road I will.  The first hours after surgery felt somewhat like I went to Hell and back.  My husband stayed with me the night of surgery, and I honestly don't know how I would have gotten through that night without him there.  I had surgery on Friday and was discharged on Sunday (Mother's Day). 

I've come along way in a week.  The pain is minimal.  Nothing has made be vomit yet.  The only time I became nauseous this week was when our dogs came in smelling from something really bad, and I had to make a quick exit from the room.  But, all drinks have been staying down fairly comfortably.

The big issue I had this week was on Tues and Weds.  I had my first BM on Tues and it was very, very uncomfortable.  Then I had 3 more that day all full of bile.  This lead to Weds in which I had 8 of these.  History:  I had my gall bladder out in 1994 (17 years ago) and had these explosive, bile filled, diarrhea immediately afterwards.  They have happened off an on throughout these years and have slowed over time, maybe having one every one to two months.  This came out of nowhere as it started with my first BMs after being on liquids only for 5 days.  Now over the course of all of these years, I've brought it to the attention of several (at least 6 doctors) who have never had an answer or solution.  Well this week, I found this article online which decribes what I am going through:  http://members.tripod.com/jerrytx_2/bsd1.html    I asked my husband to read this article so I can approach my bariatric doctor with it at my appointment yesterday.

I have to say I (we) left this appointment very disappointed.  I have a history of not being able to advocate very well for myself with doctors (I can be a great advocate for others through).  So I prepared.  I figured I would hit him with the positive of surgery (limited pain, no nausea, the pipes are working - things are moving through) first, then dicuss this problem with him.  He wanted to hear nothing about it.  When I first brought it up, he ignored it and said, you can go ahead and start on vitamins and Phase 2 or your diet.  I backed him up and said what do I do about this excessive bile things.  And he said, "it's unrelated to my sugery, take some immodium".  I was stunned.  This is a doc who specializes in this surgery and gall bladders, and this is the reaction I got.  

I have also been very positive up to this point about this whole process.  I went to the hospital with the attitude that I was going to get my butt out of bed, no matter how much pain, move around and do what I'm supposed to do.  I promised my husband and daughter I would do this and  I did.  Eventhough there were a couple of mistakes at the hospital, I kept a positive attitude, was pleasant and thankful to everyone.  The hospital staff reported to the doc what a great patient I was and how well I was doing.  Up to this point, and even at yesterday's doc appointment, the staff at Hope Bariatrics has been absolutely wonderful, positive and supportive - really great staff.  You hear a lot of medical facilites that advertise friendly and supportive staff.. this place practices what it preaches.  Anyway, the overall point here is that, I left this appointment angry and depressed because I could not seem to get through to this doctor and he seemed to just not care.  I left feeling like I had been suckered into all the positives before surgery (been sold the goods), and now that it's over, I'm just on the conveyor belt... he had to see me in a follow up but really doesn't make any extra money on these appointments becaue it's part of the package so he just will shove me out the door.  It's either that, or that's he is so confident (and arrogant) about his surgery, he doesn't want to hear about problems.  Or, he was just too tried to exhibit any positive bedside manner.  I wonder about this last one because I had surgery Friday, and he made rounds and saw me on Saturday and Sunday.  Then my follow up appointment was Thursday and I know he does surgeries on Mondays and Wednesdays as well.  I did try to personalize it some and asked him when he takes any time off.  He did say he is "supposed to" have tomorrow off and had planned on golfing. 

Well the conclusion is, if this problem keeps up (the bile salts diarrhea) and it gets as bad as it was this past Wednesday,  I will just go to the ER at the hospital where I had surgery.  I'm hoping at this point, maybe it was just this stuff starting to clear out of my sytem through new plumbing and my 17 year problem may be on the verge of being solved.

Ok, on to a new blog entry about today...